Final submissions made in teacher Erin Osmond’s sexual exploitation case

Watch above: Closing arguments were heard in Erin Osmond’s sexual exploitation trial. As Meaghan Craig reports, the former teacher is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year old student.

SASKATOON – She says it was love and her marriage was falling apart. On Thursday, closing arguments commenced in the Erin Osmond case.

The 29-year-old former teacher has been charged with two counts of sexual exploitation after forming a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.

Now, it’s up to a judge to decide whether Osmond was in a position of power and authority when she engaged in sexual intercourse with the student or not.

During final submissions, court heard that Osmond’s love affair with the student quickly developed over text messages and that she fell in love with him, and he with her.

“It’s a difficult case, it’s a complicated case and every one of these cases is a little bit different so there’s a lot to think about,” said Leslie Sullivan, defence lawyer for Osmond.

The defence told the judge while the relationship Osmond had with the teenage boy in 2013 was “obviously inappropriate” to some extent it was the teen taking advantage of Osmond.

READ MORE: Former student was legal age for sex, says teacher

Sullivan argued the teen, who cannot be named because of a publication ban, was the one who instigated the first time they had sex, the type of acts and found venues for the two to be alone.

“He was the one looking to score with his teacher,” said Sullivan in court, “She was lonely and went along with it.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "He was the one looking to score with his teacher," said Sullivan in court, "She was lonely and went along with it."

The pair kissed twice while Osmond was still teaching at Winston High School in Watrous, a contract she had covering a maternity leave from September 2012 until February 2013.

The defence argued it was a good-bye kiss as Osmond’s short-term contract came to a close.

Sullivan said the sexual intercourse between the two that followed, happened when Osmond wasn’t his teacher and when she wasn’t in a position of authority when they engaged in the activity.

“The teen has moved on,” said Sullivan “Osmond’s fate is still to be determined.”

The prosecution argued Osmond was and continued to be in a position of power and authority.

She was his English teacher, taught him daily and reminded the judge to keep in mind that when everything started he was a 15-year-old boy.

The “goodbye kiss” they shared was in her classroom and Osmond did not refrain from contacting the teen after that with sexually charged text messages.

The Crown also argued Osmond groomed the teen and used her position to gain the students trust, using him for her own personal gratification.

“When people send their children to school they’re expecting them to be safe,” said Crown prosecutor Jaimie MacLean.

MacLean closed her final submission with a statement the teen made during the trial.

“I thought I could trust her a lot because she was a teacher.”

A verdict in the case is scheduled for May 25.